Popular travel hacker and blogger, Matt Kepnes of NomadicMatt.com, joined us for a video chat to talk about his newly revised book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day.”

According to Matt, the “dream” of traveling to a far off land remains just that for many of us. Excuses prevail from work schedules to money and responsibilities at home, but the reality is, most people don’t take flight because they’re afraid.

“Dropping everything to travel takes a lot of courage, and while many people claim “real-world responsibilities” are the reason for not traveling, I think fear of the unknown is really what holds them back. But guess what? You are NOT the first person to travel abroad!”

“While long-term travel is not popular in the US, it is a rite of passage for many people around the world… There’s nothing I can’t do that someone else can do. And the same goes for you.”

Here are some tips from Matt’s book to get you started traveling cheaper, longer and smarter:

Avoid ATM Fees Internationally — Set up a checking account with a major global bank linked to the Global ATM alliance, like Bank of America

Get the Right Travel Credit Card — Reap lots of rewards and benefits, including cheap flights and free stuff

Scoring Cheap Airline Tickets — There is no secret, you have to do your research; be flexible; fly with budget carriers; leverage the rewards you earn on your travel credit card; and check multiple search sites, like skyscanner.com, momondo.com, google.com/flights, hipmunk.com, et al

USA Today recently summarized much of the more pointed highlights of the report – answering questions that are top of mind among frequent flyers, such as: Will airfares go up – or down – in 2015? Is there a “best” day to find low fares? And when should you take that trip to Europe?

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with Markus Ruediger, Director of Media Relations at Star Alliance, about the global reach and perks that airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, bring to air travelers.

With 27 participating air carriers, the Star Alliance Network brings together networks, lounge access, check-in services, ticketing and dozens of other services to improve the travel experience for customers, wherever they are in the world.

Star Alliance member airlines fly to more destinations than any other airline alliance in the world – which means easier travel and quicker connections. Airline members are conveniently located closer together in airports and “connection teams” are installed for faster transfers and smooth traveling. Common airport facilities, coordinating schedules and a range of new technologies are frequently shared among Alliance members..

“Alliances in the travel industry will continue to exist for the simple reason that no single airline or entity could possibly offer the expanded benefits enjoyed through a network.”

– Markus Ruediger, Director Media Relations, Star Alliance

What are some of the recent changes/improvements that have occurred within the Star Alliance and what distinct value does the network bring to travelers as compared to oneworld and SkyTeam?

2014 saw a variety of developments at Star Alliance. In terms of network, we welcomed Air India in July, improving access to one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world.

The highlight of this year was no doubt the completion of a major airport infrastructure, London Heathrow’s Terminal 2 – the Queen’s Terminal – our new home at Britain’s premier hub. The combination of a state-of-the art terminal and having all member carriers located in the same building, has vastly improved our customer proposition.

During the course of this year we also made further investments in our Star Alliance branded lounges. The Paris – CDG lounge was refurbished and in addition to providing more space, it now sports many of our new design features, while having a Parisian flair. At Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport we opened a new lounge which was designed by Brazilian architects and features mainly materials from Brazil. Continue reading →

American Airlines recently announced a new year-long promotion in which premium travelers will earn bonus rewards as part of the company’s AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs.

According to a report from BusinessTraveller.com, in 2015, American Airlines will reconfigure its frequent flyer program to reward members travelling in first and business class.

The promotion will see AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles members earn miles based on a combination of distance flown, the fare purchased and elite status level. This is the first time that American has taken ticket price into consideration and hasn’t awarded miles based solely on distance flown.